In this work the synthesis of visible ZnO quantum dots (QDs) functionalized/stabilized with oleic acid and core-shelled with SiO2 is presented. A colloidal route was followed to synthesize ZnO QDs with 5 nm average size. Several characterizations were done to identify and assure the core, the stabilization, grain size and QDs emission characteristics. Techniques like FT-IR, XRD, TEM, SEM, UV-Vis, PL and an UV lamp were used to test composition, structural, morphological and emission of the as obtained quantum dots. After the structural and morphological characterization of the particles, they were functionalized with (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane (APTMS). It was observed that the size and morphology are unchanged but the stability depends directly on the APTMS oversaturation which is due to the formation of a thick SiO2 layer. From the PL characterization results it was noticed that the strong green emission is related to the APTMS content and directly related to the shell formation, this emission decreases as the core-shell thickness increases.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.